28 The Queens Courier • august 22, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com FEARS OF A FLATLINING ST. JOHN’S HOSPITAL BY MAGGIE HAYES [email protected] The Peninsula’s lone hospital is in critical condition. Rockaway residents fear financial problems at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital will close the last safety net hospital in their community. “Queens is a healthy borough, but we can’t continue to grow if we continue to lose hospitals,” said Peter Vallone, Jr., city councilmember and borough president candidate. If St. John’s Episcopal were to close its doors, the nearest hospital, Jamaica Hospital, is more than a 20-minute drive away. Changes, however, have already been made at St. John’s, which declined to disclose its financial situation to The Courier. The detox unit has closed and several clinics and nursing homes are being outsourced, according to hospital officials. Richard Brown, the hospital’s Interim Chief Operating Officer, said the unit’s closure will allow space for “much-needed” medical and surgical beds in the 257-bed building. Additionally, St. John’s Family Practice, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics clinics have begun collaborative initiatives with the Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Centers. However, St. John’s is “considering all necessary action, including possible layoffs” to maintain the hospital’s stability. “We cannot let community healthcare disappear from the Rockaways,” said Bill de Blasio, public advocate, mayoral candidate and a staunch supporter of outer borough hospitals. “We have to stop these free-fall closures that hollow out neighborhood healthcare.” The hospital board is also exploring merger options with other health systems. The community hopes for a merger with major hospital chain North Shore LIJ, but Brown said no overtures between the two have been made. FAMED DESIGNER DEAD IN FATAL FIRE BY MAGGIE HAYES [email protected] A fatal fire took the life of one of the world’s last mid-century designers, said police and a close friend. Charles Pollock, 83, of Charles Pollock Designs, created one of the best-selling office chairs in history, the Pollock Executive Chair. He moved to 157th Street in Jamaica just a few years ago after a lifetime of designing, said Constance Smith, longtime friend and business partner. “He was wonderfully creative,” Smith said. Around 7 a.m. on Tuesday, August 20, the FDNY got a call about a basement fire at Pollock’s private, two-story dwelling. Fire officials do not know who made the call. Minutes later, four to five fire trucks appeared on the scene, according to the FDNY and neighbors. An unidentified male, who neighbors and Smith say is Pollock, was pronounced dead. “He had a lifelong love for design,” Smith said. “He lived for it.” Before beginning his career, Pollock graduated from the Pratt Institute, which he attended on a full scholarship, according to Smith. Throughout the years, Pollock was featured in publications such as The New York Times for his designs, and his work appeared in various museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan and the Louvre in France. In Jamaica, neighbors said Pollock kept to himself and lived a low-key life. He had difficulty walking and was wheelchair bound. Some days, neighbors saw him waiting outside his home for Access- PHOTO BY ROBERT STRIDIRON Charles Pollock, 83, was found dead after a fire broke out in his Jamaica home. A-Ride to pick him up. Rumors Pollock had mental health issues circled his neighborhood the morning of the fire, but Smith said those issues were addressed back when he was 22 years old. He was not married and had no children, but had a girlfriend who lives in Manhattan, according to Smith. The cause of the fire was not yet determined as of press time, and the investigation is ongoing. A firefighter on the scene sustained minor injuries but refused medical attention, according to the FDNY. ALLERGY SEASON IS HERE Do you cry from itchy, tearing, red swollen eyes, stuffy nose, and sore throat? Adult & Pediatric Allergy & Asthma Care Specialist BETTER MEDICAL CARE, PC Warren W Hsu, M.D. BoardCertifi ed Allergist 212-15 Union Turnpike • Bayside, NY 718-217-8600 Mon-Wed-Fri-Sat 10am-7pm FREE Parking Most Insurance Plans Accepted • Nasal Congestion and Infl ammation • Sneezing • Itchy Watery Eyes • Runny or Stuffed Up Nose • Sore Throat • Low Grade Fever No Diagnostic Co-Pay On Your First Visit Only. With This Coupon Only Hayfever Season Pollen Season Ragweed Season of the 2013 THE QUEENS QueensCourier.com
QC08222013
To see the actual publication please follow the link above